Paws of Thought
by embersinge
Summary: Inuyasha gets turned into a dog! Will they be able to change him back? Can they continue to collect the shikon shards? I'm back and better than ever! I hope...
1. The Battle and a Mysterious Youkai

Paws of Thought  
  
A/N: This is my first fic, so be nice to the newbie. Please review to let me know how my first attempt at a fic is. Any suggestions? I am open to all ideas. Send 'em in!  
  
Oh yeah. "."=quotes ::.::= actions (.)=A/N ~.~ = Inuyasha's thoughts -.- = Kagome's thoughts +.+ = other character's thoughts.  
  
Disclaimer: Though I own a bunch of cool Inuyasha stuff, I do not own the real Inuyasha.( except in my dreams). ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 1: The Battle and a Mysterious Youkai  
  
Inuyasha sat in a tree, thinking about the events that occurred earlier that morning.  
  
~Flashback~  
  
Kagome was heading toward the well. She had to take another one of those 'test' things. She left very early in the morning hoping that she could go by unnoticed. Inuyasha watched her walk by.  
  
~ Keh! The wench thinks she can sneak by me! ~ Inuyasha followed her trek to the well, jumping from branch to branch in the trees' canopy. Kagome looked around, checking if the coast was clear. She set off again at a more brisk pace once she deemed it safe to go on. Inuyasha jumped out of the trees and landed in Kagome's path.  
  
"Keh! Where do you think you're going, wench?"  
  
-Argh, not again.every time too.why must you be like this Inuyasha? - "Come on Inuyasha, let me go. I have a test to take in the morning and I need to study."  
  
"Why don't you just study here?"  
  
Inuyasha just did not understand the importance of tests! "I can't study here when I'm constantly being attacked by demons left and right! It would be a lot safer for me to study at home, so just MOVE ASIDE!"  
  
Inuyasha blinked, slightly surprised at her outburst command.  
  
"Make me." He sneered. He mentally cringed. ~Oh kuso. Maybe I should not have said that.but there is no WAY I'm listening to her. ~ Knowing that the dreadful sit drew neigh, he prepared himself to jump. He saw her draw in her breath, getting ready to speak, so he launched himself above Kagome's head.  
  
"SIT!"  
  
His jump had been too quick for her to see, so by the time she had said the word, it was too late for her to react. She ended up being pinned down to the ground by the subduing spell and a smirking hanyou.  
  
She mumbled curses that she probably learned from Inuyasha, and shoved him off her as soon as the spell wore off. She stomped over to the well, her aura cracking.  
  
"Hey wait Kagome, I said you can't go." He said from his position on the ground. That was the last straw for Kagome.  
  
"SITSITSITSITSITSITSITSITSITSITSIIIIIIIT!!!!!!"  
  
She left Inuyasha to mutter curses into his newly made crater and went back to her own time.  
  
~End flashback~  
  
Inuyasha sighed deeply and looked down at his crater. He cringed remembering how painful it had been. ~I hate it when she 'sits' me. I swear, that woman abuses what power she holds over me. ~  
  
Inuyasha breathed deeply, taking in all the scents of the evening. The faint scent of a demon crossed paths with his nose. ~So, there's a demon nearby, maybe it has some jewel shards.~ He set off towards the demon's scent.  
  
^_^ In Kagome's Time ^_^  
  
Now that she was over her anger, Kagome felt guilty about the numerous sits she had given Inuyasha. She made a mental note to make it up to him later.  
  
She glared down at her algebra homework. Sometimes she thought it was useless to learn such things. -I'd rather be in the feudal era with Inuyasha, but he can be so arrogant sometimes that it's not pleasing to be around him at all. - She slammed her algebra textbook shut.  
  
"Argh. Math can be so infuriating! I'm hungry anyway, so I might as well go get a snack." (Good idea Kagome, I'll be back in a little.returns with about 50 snacks.::blinks:: OKAY! On with the fic!)  
  
Kagome trudged downstairs, thinking about what she would like to eat. She decided that she would have some ramen. (Ramen's #1!).  
  
"I swear, my stomach is beginning to think more like Inuyasha's everyday."  
  
She made the ramen, ate it, and then went back to her room. She pulled out her history book this time, determined on getting as much study in as she could, now that her stomach was satisfied. After about an hour of study, she had fallen fast asleep on her open books.  
  
Her mother looked into the room, smiling to herself, and pulled a blanket over her daughter so she wouldn't get cold.  
  
"Good night, dear. Best of luck on tomorrow's test."  
  
Kagome snuggled into the blanket, "mmm.Inuyasha." she said in her sleep. Her mother's smile grew bigger. She would tease her daughter about it later. She left Kagome to her dreams and shut the door behind her.  
  
^_^ Back in the feudal era ^_^  
  
Inuyasha came upon a grassy knoll. The demon he was sniffing out was on the other side. What he saw was a creature that appeared human, but from the smell of it, was a female fox demon.  
  
Unknown to Inuyasha was that this particular fox demon happened to have immense spiritual and magical powers, including the usual fox magic. He advanced slowly and warily towards her. He felt his skin prick, but he paid no heed to it.  
  
"How is it that you are unaffected by my spiritual wards?"  
  
~So, that's what that sensation is.~ Inuyasha stopped walking, finally noticing the tingle on his skin.  
  
"I am the great demon, Vixen. Who are you and why do you intrude in my territory?"  
  
"Feh! I am Inuyasha. Your wards are very wimpy."  
  
Vixen growled at Inuyasha's snide comment. "You will pay for your arrogance, Inuyasha," she said with anger tainting her sweet voice.  
  
+He's a dog demon, so he should be easily taken care of.+ She formed a quick plan in her head. +Yes, that should do. That ought to teach that arrogant bastard not to mess with me!+  
  
Inuyasha unsheathed the tetsusaiga. "Well, if that's the way you want it, then prepare to die!"  
  
He lunged forward in an attack. +He's fast, but not fast enough.+ She easily dodged the attack and drew some powder out of her pouch.  
  
Once Inuyasha drew near again, she threw the strong-smelling powder right at Inuyasha's nose. The pungent smell soon overtook him and he fell unconscious. (@_@ (Him)  
  
Now that the mutt was temporarily put out of commission, she could inflict a bigger blow to his pride. She walked up to him and touched his rosary. She muttered an incantation and it glowed a deep crimson color.  
  
She smirked, her spell would take effect in about an hour. She left the unconscious hanyou in the field, feeling that he got what he deserved.  
  
^_^ In Kagome's Time ^_^  
  
Kagome gasped and woke up with a start. She had gotten a strong feeling that something bad had happened to Inuyasha.  
  
-Must be just a silly feeling, I'll check up on him after my test just in case.- Feeling satisfied that Inuyasha was fine, she returned to the ever blissful state of dreaming.  
  
^_^ At Kaede's Hut ^_^  
  
"Miroku, I'm worried. It's been quite some time since Inuyasha left."  
  
"You need not worry Sango, ::pat, pat:: ::smack:: Inuyasha is probably just hunting down shards from every youkai that crosses paths with him."  
  
"I suppose you're right, Houshi-sama."  
  
Sango extinguished the fire that they had been using for light and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Yea! Chapter 1 complete! ::does little jig:: ::coughs:: okay now, that wasn't so bad now was it? I'll write the next chapter once I uninstall my writer's block and once I get a few reviews. I've gotta know if my fic is good enough to continue. The plot has yet to get better. I'll go work on Chapter 2 now. Ja ne! 


	2. An Unfortunate Accident

Paws of Thought  
  
A/N: ::teary eyed:: ::sniffles:: I feel so loved! Thanx for the reviews. Arigato, minna-sama!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own so you don't sue, kay?  
  
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Chapter 2: An Unfortunate Accident  
  
A light breeze played over the field where Inuyasha still lay unconscious. It weaved its way through the blades of grass and made his hair flutter along its course. Inuyasha was glowing a soft crimson color, the same crimson of Vixen's spell.  
  
^_^ In Kagome's Time ^_^  
  
Kagome walked up the shrine steps at a weary pace. She had had one excruciatingly long day at school. She opened her front door and said her usual greeting to the family.  
  
"Tadaima!"  
  
Her mom poked her head out of the kitchen.  
  
"Oh hi Kagome, how was your day, dear?"  
  
::sighs deeply:: "It could have gone a lot better."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure things'll be looking better for you soon."  
  
Kagome smiled to her mom and she returned to her kitchen duties. Kagome seriously doubted that her day would get any better. Knowing Inuyasha, he would be there soon to whisk her away to the feudal era. She decided that if she was going to be dragged off, that she might as well prepare for it. She dropped off her school things and grabbed her purse.  
  
"I'm going out mom!" she yelled.  
  
"Be back in time for dinner, kay?"  
  
"Hai, mama."  
  
She made her way back down the shrine steps, her spirits lifted somewhat.  
  
^_^ The ever so familiar field ^_^  
  
The field that Inuyasha had previously been lying in was totally vacant. Inuyasha no longer lay unconscious among the flowers.  
  
^_^ Tokyo Plaza ^_^  
  
Kagome looked around at the many shops. She was looking for the perfect store to purchase her items. She needed to restock on ramen and first aid supplies.  
  
-Personally, I think Inuyasha would rather have ramen than first aid any day. - She chuckled to herself about her thought. Kagome usually found herself thinking about Inuyasha when she was in her time. She might not admit it, but she deeply misses Inuyasha when he's not around. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.  
  
"Okay! Time to go get some ramen."  
  
Kagome walked into a promising looking store. She came out about ten minutes later with her arms full of food and supplies. A white dog was sitting on the curb, eyeing her every move. Kagome locked her chocolate brown gaze to its golden one. -What an odd dog.-  
  
"Run along now, doggie. You wouldn't want anybody tripping over you."  
  
The dog didn't make any move, he just continued staring intently at her.  
  
"Okay, whatever pooch."  
  
She weaved her way through the crowds and began her long walk home. The white dog got up and started following her. Kagome glanced back over her shoulder and noticed the dog following her. -Great, just what I need right now. I'm being stalked by a dog.-  
  
She walked faster, trying to lose her little doggie stalker. No such luck. She grinned, and then broke into a full-out run. She heard the dog bark, as if he was protesting her sudden burst of speed. Kagome started laughing aloud.  
  
"That's what you get for following me! I'd like to see you catch me now!"  
  
She heard a soft growl, then a playful yip. The dog had run at top speed and quickly pulled ahead of her. He almost seemed to be taunting her playfully. He looked back and grinned his dopey doggy grin. Since his attention was averted from where he was going, he didn't notice the car until it was too late. Screeching tires filled the still air.  
  
"Oh no.."  
  
Kagome helplessly watched as the car plunged into the dog's side. She cringed when she heard his painful yelp. -I've got to do something.- She ran over to the bleeding dog and scooped him up in her arms. Kagome was no longer running in joy. She was running in sheer despair. She loved all creatures and could not allow for this dog to die.  
  
Kagome ran up the shrine steps with tears in her eyes. The dog's blood was beginning to drip onto her clothes, but she could care less about one set of ruined clothes. Her mother saw Kagome through the kitchen window.  
  
"Oh dear.."  
  
She yelled to grandpa and Souta to go prepare a spot to treat the poor thing. Just then, Kagome burst through the front door.  
  
"Mama! Thisdogwasfollowingmeandgothitbyacarwegottahelphim!" (Case ya didn't catch that, it was: This dog was following me and got hit by a car we gotta help him!)  
  
Kagome was in such a blind rush, that her words were barely understood.  
  
"Set him on the blanket in the living room, we'll take care of him, don't worry."  
  
Kagome felt sick to her stomach with worry. -How can I not worry.- Her eyes welled over with tears again. Her mom put a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder.  
  
"Call the vet and tell them that we've got a dog that was hit by a car. We will try and get him stable while we're waiting for the vet, kay?"  
  
"Hai, mama, arigatou."  
  
Her mom smiled a weak smile then went into the living room to tend to the unfortunate creature. Kagome made her frantic call to the veterinary office.  
  
"The house vet'll be here in a half hour." She said solemnly.  
  
-Too long, I don't know if he'll make it or not.- She went into the living room and sat down heavily on the couch. She watched her mom clean the dog's wounds. She helped by getting fresh water and clean towels.  
  
Kagome hated having to listen to the dog's raspy breathing. She felt as if every pain the dog had to endure was her fault. Her grandfather rubbed some healing herbs on the dog once her mother had finished cleansing the wounds. The herbs stung like hell and the dog seemed to almost scream in pain.  
  
Kagome could hardly bear seeing him in such immense pain. She was on the verge of tears again when she heard the doorbell ring. Her eyes grew wide. -Yes! The vet is finally here!- She bolted to the door in a flash. She threw open the door to see a guy holding a pizza.  
  
"Did someone order a pizza?"  
  
"WHO ORDERED A GODDAMN PIZZA AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!?"  
  
The whole house shook from her enraged voice. Souta fearfully stepped forward.  
  
"I was hungry sis.."  
  
She clenched her hands into fists. "I'll deal with you later Souta." She said through gritted teeth. She threw some money at the poor pizza guy and shoved the pizza at her brother.  
  
"I hope you're happy.." She slammed the door in the pizza guy's face. About two seconds later, the doorbell rang again. She nearly ripped the door off its hinges.  
  
"WHAT?!?"  
  
The vet stood there in fear and timidly answered her.  
  
"You called about a dog hit by a car, right?"  
  
"Oh, yes, please come this way, quickly!"  
  
She led the vet into the living room, more like shoved, but the vet got there one way or another. The vet set to work immediately. Kagome's mom took Kagome's shoulder and ushered her into the kitchen.  
  
"I'm sure your little dog friend will be fine Kagome. Right now you need to relax."  
  
Her mom began to brew some tea. Tea usually calmed Kagome down. Kagome sat at the kitchen table and slowly drank her tea. She nearly had to force herself to relax.  
  
The vet left about two hours later. The dog had finally drifted to sleep. Kagome quietly moved herself into a sitting position by the dog's side. She stroked his soft fur. He whimpered in his sleep, but it did not sound pained.  
  
Kagome checked him over, evaluating how badly he had been wounded. His wounds didn't seem very deep, but it would still take some time to heal. Thankfully, nothing had been broken. He had just been severely bruised and cut.  
  
Just then, she noticed something around his neck that she hadn't noticed before. It was a chain collar. It bore no tags, but it did have one fang- shaped bead. She carefully inspected the bead to find that nothing had been inscribed on it.  
  
-This dog is shrouded in nothing but mystery.- Her thoughts slowly ceased because of her increased drowsiness. She soon drifted off into sleep by the fuzzy white dog.  
  
Kagome awoke the next morning to find a pair of golden eyes staring at her.  
  
"Inuyasha?.." she said sleepily. She was still groggy from sleep. She heard an excited bark which was immediately followed by a warm wet tongue licking her face. Her eyes focused and she realized that it was the dog and not Inuyasha who had been watching her.  
  
"I see you're feeling better this morning."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Ya know, I have a feeling that you'll be stickin' around for a while. I think it's about time I gave you a name, how 'bout Yasha?"  
  
~Close enough Kagome..~ He nodded again.  
  
"Cool. Just don't tell Inuyasha that a dog is partly named after him." She held up a finger to her lips. "shhh.."  
  
He rolled his eyes. ~Kagome is so weird.~ Kagome stopped conversing with Yasha and glanced up at the clock. She jumped up and bolted out of the room.  
  
"Holly shit! I'm gonna be late for school!"  
  
She stomped around in a rush getting ready for school. ~Sounds like a herd of youkai up there.~  
  
"I'll play with you after school, kay Yasha?"  
  
He reluctantly barked. He didn't want to be left alone with Kagome's strange family.  
  
"See ya!"  
  
All Yasha could do was watch helplessly as the last probably sane person left the house. ~This is gonna be one loooooooonnnnnng day.~  
  
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A/N: Gomen everybody. I was gonna make this chappie longer, but spring break is nearly over and I've got WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) testing coming up. I've got a few ideas, and hopefully I can get another chapter up soon. Please review. Maybe my brain'll feed off reviews and will feel happy enough to write faster. Okay, gotta go whip up that chapter. @_@ TOODLES@_@ 


	3. A Dog Day Afternoon

Paws of Thought  
  
A/N: Ah, the glories of a weekend break with no tests. Paradise! Well, was it worth the wait? Like I said, I've been busy with tests and such. But no worries, I've been working on the story every spare chance I get. I'll try to update every week, that's my promise. You have questions, so I have answers. Some questions asked were:  
  
What kind of dog is Inuyasha? I thought that an Akita would be a good choice for him, since Akita's do come from Japan, but I have ultimately decided that he should be a Great Pyrenees. The Great Pyrenees looks a whole lot more like the kinda dog Sesshoumaru is, so I decided that it was the perfect choice. Big fluffy white dogs. . . kawaii!!  
  
How can he be turned back? Now, now, I will not be givin' that away. Plus I don't even know yet. You'll find out soon enough once I think of a way.  
  
Do Sango and Miroku know? They currently do not know what has happened to him, but they will find out after Kagome does.  
  
Does he still have his demon strength? Interesting thought, but I don't think I'll let a dog be that strong. He will, however, be stronger than the average dog.  
  
And to Jenna aka Kitty: Thanks for the ideas, I shall put them to effect in this chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: .:Sigh:. You know the drill, I do not own Inuyasha (I hate having to say that). Oh yeah, and ignore Dracos gal. She's just a friend of mine. Don't worry, I'll never let her read ahead again. Naughty, naughty miss Ally-chan . . .  
  
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Chapter 3- A dog day afternoon  
  
Yasha miserably treaded away from the front door and flopped down on the soft carpet in Kagome's room. He hoped that her family did not notice his absence.  
  
He moaned and grumbled from his spot on the floor. His sides were aching terribly. Yasha lay there in all his misery and listened to the movements of the people in the household. He was bored, so he decided to seek out the cat that he always liked to mess around with. He located the fat blob stuck behind the couch. ~ Stupid cat. Oh well, he's fun to play with.~  
  
He dragged the cat out by his tail with his teeth. Buyo was unafraid of the dog for he recognized his scent as the scent of the annoying dog-boy. Buyo growled at Yasha. He did not feel like being messed with. Yasha started to gnaw at the cat's tasty tail. Buyo hissed and swiped his claws across Yasha's nose. Bright red claw marks showed. Yasha did not appreciate that. He growled at Buyo and snapped his teeth at him.  
  
Thankfully for Buyo, Souta walked into the room. Souta sensed the tension between the two and decided he had to put an end to it. He got Buyo moving first.  
  
"Lunch is in the kitchen, go eat Buyo."  
  
At the sound of food, Buyo immediately exited the room. ~Stupid porker.~ Souta looked to Yasha.  
  
"Now you. You obviously seem better and I've been meaning to do this once you got better. I just cannot resist the fluffiness!"  
  
Souta glomped the poor unsuspecting dog. He latched onto his neck and refused to remove himself till he saw fit. When he heard Yasha's gasps for breath, he decided that was enough for now.  
  
"That was fun, don't go anywhere, I'll be right back."  
  
~Man, that kid's got a death grip.~ Souta left the room and came back with one of those instant cameras. He took Yasha's picture before the dog had a chance to walk off.  
  
"Grandpa says I gotta make 'found posters' of you since you've got a collar and all. I hope nobody claims you though, it would be nice to have a dog at the shrine."  
  
Souta left to make the posters, fantasizing about what it would be like to have a dog. Yasha sat there, momentarily blinded from the camera's flash. ~That small box must be evil. It's gotta have a small lightning demon inside or something.~ He got up once he could see again and followed Souta's scent. Souta was busy making up a poster that he could copy and spread throughout town.  
  
Yasha spotted the evil camera and proceeded in its destruction. Just then, Grandpa walked in to check on Souta's progress. He spotted Yasha on the floor tearing the camera into oblivion. His eyes went wide.  
  
"The dog has gone mad! I must suppress his enraged soul with a spell."  
  
He dashed out and returned with an ofuda strip (A/N: ofuda or fuda strips: wards that Miroku uses for example). He placed it on the dog's forehead. Yasha was not pleased. He was tired of the old man's antics. He always placed those useless spell scrolls on him.  
  
Yasha glared at the old buffoon and a growl started deep in his throat. Grandpa screamed bloody murder and grabbed Souta, running out of the room. ~Ah, peace at last.~ Grandpa sealed up the room Yasha was in with more spell scrolls. Yasha heard the old man and his feeble attempts to seal him. He rolled his eyes. ~When will he ever learn?~  
  
He strode out of the room without even glancing at the old fool. He was standing there staring at the dog with his mouth open. +That dog cannot be normal.+ Grandpa decided to leave the dog alone for now, lest he bite his head off.  
  
Yasha was hungry, so he made his way to the kitchen. He nudged open the fridge door and smelled the foods inside. He snorted then walked off. Nothing in there suited his interests. Ms. Higurashi noticed his poking around the kitchen.  
  
"Are you hungry, Yasha?"  
  
He nodded happily.  
  
"Enthusiastic I see. Well, I was just getting ready to make a lunch up for the boys anyway. It's nearly noon already."  
  
She went about her way in the kitchen preparing the food as she said she would. Yasha sat there patiently waiting for his food, his tail wagging. She set aside a portion of the lunch for Yasha to eat. Human food would have to do until they could purchase some dog food.  
  
She set down the plate of food and watched as Yasha happily consumed it. He was apparently very hungry, for he ate faster than Buyo. Ms. Higurashi just smiled down at him. + I hope we can keep him..he's such a nice dog.+ She left to get the boys so that they could eat too. The boys entered the room and watched the dog warily. Yasha just sighed and left the room.  
  
He found himself once again in Kagome's room. ~I can't stay here all day. I need to get out of here for a while.~ He nudged open Kagome's window and jumped onto the tree outside. He lost his footing and fell to the ground making a loud thump. ~ Ouch.~ He pushed aside the pain for now and sauntered off into the town.  
  
^_^ Kagome's school ^_^  
  
Kagome stared at the blackboard and tried to comprehend what the teacher was saying. She was so behind the rest of the class, she didn't see how she'd ever pass any tests, let alone this school year. -I really should try to concentrate on my studies more..-  
  
"Miss Higurashi, could you please tell me the answer to the question on the board?"  
  
She stared at the problem. "Um..12?" (A/N: 12 is the universal answer to everything. Mwahahaha..okay then..continue, ignore my rants..this moment never happened..~ ~;)  
  
"I'm sorry, but that is incorrect. Next time pay attention and don't daydream."  
  
The class snickered, and Kagome blushed.  
  
The bell finally rang, signifying the beginning of the lunch period. -Finally, lunchtime, I am starving.- Her stomach growled in anticipation of her meal. She grabbed her things and made her way outside to the tree she usually ate under. Her friends were already waiting for her there.  
  
"So, Kagome, how're things goin'?"  
  
"Everything is going just fine now, no 'life threatening illnesses' at the moment."  
  
"That's great, cuz I set you up on a date with Hojo-kun this Saturday."  
  
Kagome's eyes bugged out. "You..did..WHAT?!?"  
  
"You're going out with Hojo this Saturday. No exceptions. Especially since you aren't sick right now. You've shot the poor boy down so many times, I think it'd be great if you made it up to him."  
  
-It's true that I've stood him up quite a lot of times..but that's because I don't like Hojo-kun. Why can't anybody understand that?!?-  
  
"I guess I could make it up to him, but just this once."  
  
Her friends nodded their approval and continued eating their lunches. Kagome's day at school after that was pretty uneventful. She got scolded by more teachers about her wandering mind. She was deep in thought and worry about the date that her traitorous friends had set her up on. She didn't know what she could do about it. -I guess I'll just have to go..-  
  
^_^ Back to Yasha ^_^  
  
Yasha's aimless wandering ended him up at a park. He sat by the river and watched with a bored look on his face as the fish swam by. He heard a loud pitched scream and looked up in time to see a girl fall off the bridge overlooking the river. He immediately dashed into the river to get the girl. The current was swift and was sweeping the girl further downstream.  
  
The girl's mother was crying hysterically from the bridge. Her cries hurt Yasha's ears, so he decided that his rescue operation needed to be done as quickly as possible. He swam over to the shrieking girl. She grabbed onto his shoulders and attempted to ride on top of him. It is extremely hard to swim with a girl on your back, so Yasha flipped her over so that he could grab her jacket with his teeth.  
  
Now that he was in a better position to swim, he dragged to girl onto shore. The mother met them there and frantically hugged her little girl.  
  
"Thank you so much for rescuing my daughter, doggy."  
  
The lady bowed to the dog in gratitude, then hugged him for good measure. Yasha shook the water off himself then went on his way. He ambled down some street and noticed a lady being cornered in an alley. Two men were attempting to steal her purse (go figure ::rolls eyes::). Just when the men were beginning to get rough. Yasha stepped forward and scared them out of their wits by barking loudly.  
  
This shocked them for only a short span of time though, and they soon continued to pursue the lady's bag. Yasha didn't like being ignored. He walked up to the nearest guy and took a chunk out of his leg. He screamed in pain. His friend ran off before anybody could call the police. The lady knocked the man unconscious with her purse. She was very grateful towards her white, fluffy savior. She patted his head and handed him a piece of jerky she pulled out of her purse.  
  
He happily ate the strange, good tasting substance and continued on his wandering. ~Kagome should be coming home any time now. I guess I should head back to the shrine.~ He made his way back to the shrine and pondered how Kagome could stand living in this dangerous place.  
  
He ambled up the steps and attempted to climb the tree back up into Kagome's room. He slipped a couple times, but eventually got to the branch he needed to get in the room. He went down the stairs and sat with the rest of the family in the living room.  
  
^_^ Kagome ^_^  
  
She mentally cheered when she heard the ending bell ring. School was finally out for the day. She ran out of the school with a bright smile on her face. She can finally go home and check on Yasha. Kagome wondered how he was doing.  
  
She reached the shrine and went in the front door.  
  
"Tadaima!"  
  
When she got no response, she went in search of her family. She located everybody in the living room watching the news. On the TV screen, she saw a news reporter reporting about a dog that had saved a little girl from the river.  
  
(TV) "In today's news, a miraculous rescue had been preformed by a large white dog. A girl had fallen in the river and was dragged out by the dog. Thanks to the dog's heroic efforts, the girl was not harmed. This dog also saved a woman from being mugged by two villains. Thanks again to the dog's efforts, this woman was also unharmed."  
  
(Souta) "Do ya hear that Kagome? Yasha's a hero!"  
  
-Wow, so this is what happens when I'm not around.-  
  
"Very good job Yasha! I need to take you out for a treat, you deserve it."  
  
Kagome lead Yasha into town and to an ice cream shop. She bought herself a chocolate cone and him a vanilla one. She didn't want to poison the hero with chocolate, now did she? She giggled as she watched him lick ice cream off his nose.  
  
He inwardly smirked then started to lick the ice cream off of her face.  
  
"Ah! Stop that! Ew, doggy breath!" She laughed as she said that. This dog was just so precious.  
  
After eating their frozen delights, they headed back home to eat dinner. -Dessert before dinner, that's pretty good. Though I know mamma will never let me do it again.-  
  
They ate their dinner then trudged upstairs to get ready for bed. Kagome was grateful that she didn't have homework for once. She went into the bathroom and took a quick shower then changed into her bedclothes. She yawned tiredly and crawled into bed.  
  
Yasha jumped up onto the bed and fell asleep at the foot of her bed. That was enough excitement in one day for him. I hope that tomorrow won't be as dangerous and painful. The duo drifted off to sleep and dreamed peaceful dreams.  
  
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Sorry again for not updating in a while. I tried to make it up to you guys by making this chapter longer. I don't know if it's just me or not, but my chapters tend to end in people sleeping. Maybe it's cuz of my late-night writing habits. Oh well. It might be another week before I can post the next chapter. Any suggestions on how to torture Yasha or Kagome would be great. I don't hate them or anything, it's just that I control their fates. BWAHAHA ..So until then: TOODLES 


	4. The Date

Paws of Thought  
  
Yeah! Testing is over! Sorry, I haven't updated in ages. Been busy I guess. I'll try not to take so long next time. I have thought up an idea for my next story too. That's about it, cept..Please review. I've got about a zillion projects to do for school, but once school's over, I'll be updating like mad, so just hang in there till then. / I will be making a couple pictures to go along with the story, if you'd like to see them, add your e- mail address to a review letting me know that you'd like to see them. \  
  
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Chapter 4: The Date  
  
Yasha's morning   
  
Yasha woke up early Saturday morning. He watched as Kagome slept contently. ~She looks so calm and peaceful when she sleeps. I'm bored though, so maybe I outta wake her. Then we could do something instead of stay here all day.~  
  
He barked loudly. She didn't wake. He decided that the cold nose treatment might work. He nudged her side with his cold nose. She rolled over in her sleep. He growled in annoyance. A thought struck him and he moved to the end of the bed. He shoved the blankets off her bare feet and inwardly smirked. He started to lick her feet. She squirmed under the covers. Kagome happened to be very ticklish. He continued to lick her feet. Then he turned around and wagged his fluffy tail to brush it softly across her bare feet. Kagome couldn't stay dead to the world any longer. She woke up laughing.  
  
"Hey! No fair, who told you I was ticklish?"  
  
Kagome pouted playfully at Yasha and he just dog-grinned back. Kagome instantly plotted her revenge. She couldn't tickle the dog back, for she has never known a dog to be ticklish before. An evil smile made it's way to her face. She thought of the perfect way to carry out her revenge on the dog.  
  
She walked over to her closet and rummaged around in it for a couple minutes. She came out with an armload of clothes. She grinned evilly at Yasha and he whimpered. She rushed over to him and pinned him down before he could run away. She tied a pretty pink bow on his neck and strapped a hat rimmed with flowers on his head. She forced a pink mini-skirt on him also.  
  
"There, now you can look that way today for tickling me!"  
  
Yasha moaned his defeat and gave Kagome a sideways glance. ~Why in all of Japan would Kagome want to do something like this?~ Yasha sat there and pondered if this girl really was sane or not. Buyo poked his head into the room and snickered. Just to put the icing on the cake, Kagome took the dressed up dog's picture.  
  
"My friends are gonna love this picture!"  
  
Yasha's eyes went wide and he chased after Kagome and Buyo in an attempt to get back the embarrassing picture and the annoying cat. She shrieked and ran out the door then down the stairs. They burst into the kitchen where the rest of the family had already started eating breakfast. Ms. Higurashi got up from her plate and walked over to Yasha.  
  
"You look so cute today Yasha! You should wear such nice clothes everyday."  
  
She played with his ears then returned to her breakfast. Kagome snickered at his dumbfounded look. He snapped back to reality then glared at her. Ignoring him, Kagome trotted over to the table and proceeded with eating her own breakfast. Yasha trudged over to his usual spot under the table.  
  
He usually sat under the table so he could more easily listen to the family's conversations. He could also get bits of food that Souta usually threw down to him. Today there wasn't much conversation. Kagome was in deep thought about her date later today, and the rest of the family just listened to grandpa Higurashi's wild stories.  
  
Yasha finally remembered that he was still wearing the ridiculous clothing, so he went about with its imminent destruction. He looked up from the shredded mess of clothing and noticed Buyo still snickering in the corner. A deep growl started in Yasha's throat, and he started the great Buyo chase. The two of them chased each other around the house until they eventually broke the front door down and went outside. Buyo made a beeline for the Goshinboku tree and climbed up to one of the higher branches. Buyo stared down at the dumb dog and snickered from his safe spot. Or so he thought it was safe.  
  
Yasha wouldn't let a simple thing like a tree get in the way of his revenge on the cat. With practiced ease, he hauled himself up the tree. Buyo's green eyes went wide in shock. Something wasn't right. Dogs don't climb trees. This fact is the only thing Buyo knew for sure.  
  
Yasha continued his climb with determination. Buyo looked left and right trying to find an escape route. He found none, so he instead jumped down and landed right on Yasha's face. Buyo's claws were out, so Yasha got a face full of pin-sharp claws. He yelped in surprised pain. Having gotten the dog distracted for a bit, Buyo finished his descent from the tree and landed on the ground. Yasha lost his grip and fell down, landing on the cat.  
  
He got up and dizzily walked back to the house. He ignored the Buyo pancake's groans. Yasha walked back over the broken down door. He hoped he wouldn't get in too much trouble for the damage done. At least he got his revenge on the arrogant cat.  
  
Kagome's morning   
  
Kagome watched as Yasha and Buyo had started their usual morning routines. They did this every day since Yasha came along. Kagome sighed. She knew that she'd have a big mess to clean up once they finished their business. She was still in doubt about her date later that day. She finished her breakfast. Kagome decided that she might as well get things set up for tonight.  
  
She went in search of Yasha. She found him in the main hallway, next to the broken down door. She sighed deeply.  
  
"Do you think you could open it next time?" she asked, not expecting an answer.  
  
Kagome walked over to the door and placed it back in its frame. She gave Yasha an exasperated look, then trudged upstairs. Her day was going to be long and tiring.  
  
Flash Forward to Tonight!   
  
Kagome got out of the shower. Her date with Hojo was in two hours. She dreaded having to spend the night with the dunce, but she had no choice. Her friends were right, she had stood up Hojo many times. She sighed and went back into her room to select her clothes for the dinner. Yasha was sitting in the middle of her floor and giving her a questionable look. He gave her a look that more or less said: Whatcha doin'?  
  
"Don't worry Yasha, I'll be back home soon enough. My friends suckered me into a date with Hojo." She said this and made a gagging motion at the name Hojo.  
  
Yasha whimpered, then growled. He did not want Kagome running off with some boy.  
  
"Don't even think about it. You're staying here, the restaurant doesn't allow dogs anyway. You can, however, help me pick something out to wear."  
  
She rummaged through her closet once again, and pulled out two dresses. She held up the first one, then the second one. She asked Yasha of his opinion. He scoffed at her request. ~She looks nice in anything she wears.~ He walked over and nuzzled the first dress with his nose.  
  
"The first one it is then!"  
  
She shooed Yasha out of her room to get dressed. He respected her wishes for privacy and left immediately. She put on the dress and some light perfume. She also painted her nails and put up her hair. She opened the door and was greeted by Yasha, whose nose was scrunched up against the smell of the perfume.  
  
"Ah, come on! Perfume doesn't smell that bad!"  
  
Yasha coughed and walked off before he fainted from the strong scent. Kagome shook her head then went down the stairs.  
  
"Grandpa, watch over Yasha for me, kay?"  
  
Grandpa Higurashi just nodded his head and glared at the dog.  
  
"Okay, but if he does anything funny, I'll have to exorcise him."  
  
"Thanks grandpa."  
  
Kagome heard a knock on the door.  
  
"I guess Hojo is here, I'll see you all later tonight."  
  
She went to the door, Yasha close on her heels. She opened the door to see Hojo with a goofy grin on his face.  
  
"So, you ready for tonight, Kagome?"  
  
She mentally rolled her eyes. -As ready as I'll ever be.- "Yep."  
  
The two at the door finally realized the loud growling coming from the ground. Hojo looked down to see a severely ticked off Yasha. He looked at the dog warily, but decided to be friendly anyway.  
  
"How is the nice doggy doing today?"  
  
Hojo reached down to pet Yasha on the head. Yasha lashed out and bit his hand. Hojo cried out in pain and Yasha just snickered. Kagome giggled quietly and winked at him from the corner of her eye.  
  
"Bad dog, you shouldn't bite people who don't know how to keep their hands to themselves. Come on Hojo, let's get you bandaged up."  
  
Kagome led Hojo into the living room, got some bandages, and bandaged his hand. -Hojo really is an idiot.- After Hojo was all fixed up, they left the house and got in the car to go to Tokyo Plaza. Hojo pulled the car in front of the most fancy restaurant in town. Kagome looked at him with wide eyes.  
  
"We're gonna eat here?"  
  
"The perfect restaurant for the perfect woman."  
  
Kagome blushed and allowed him to lead her into the restaurant.  
  
Yasha   
  
Yasha stood at the window and watched as the two left without him. He glared at them until he could no longer see them. He had to get that Hojo guy. He wouldn't let some weirdo take away his Kagome..wait a minute..his Kagome? Since when was Kagome his? ~I've got to stop thinking like that, Kagome is not mine..but I want her.~ He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He felt and smelt the presence of another in the room. He turned around to find the deranged old man with a handful of spell scrolls.  
  
He growled to try and scare off the old geezer. He reacted by grinning.  
  
"You will not escape my spells this time dog."  
  
He lunged forward and attempted to stick some more scrolls on the dog. Yasha sidestepped to avoid him. He trotted out of the room and left the old man on the floor. He nudged open the back door and began his search for Kagome.  
  
Kagome   
  
They followed a waiter to their table. Hojo had asked the waiter to give them the best seats in the house. She sat down and picked up a menu. She didn't recognize anything on the menu. She never ate fancy food. Hojo said his order to the waiter. Kagome just had what he was having. They got soup as an appetizer. Kagome stared as he slurped the soup down noisily. She rolled her eyes and wished for the night to get over faster.  
  
Mission: Retrieve Kagome   
  
Yasha sniffed around the streets of the plaza trying to pick up Kagome's scent. It was hard to block out the smells of such wonderful foods around him, but he managed somehow. He picked up her scent coming from a really good smelling restaurant. He attempted to enter the restaurant, but was kicked back out by a man guarding the door. He instead went over to the window and pressed his nose against it trying to see if Kagome was in there.  
  
Kagome  
  
Hojo was currently choking on some unknown food. Her gaze wandered over to the windows. Her eye twitched when she spotted a big white dog with a spell scroll on his forhead looking in the window.  
  
"Yasha?"  
  
Yasha spotted her then snuck past the guard. He made his way over to Kagome's table then hid under it. Kagome caught this and whispered to him.  
  
"What are you doing here? You crazy dog!"  
  
Hojo had finally stopped choking on his food.  
  
"You look beautiful tonight, Kagome."  
  
Kagome blushed. "Thanks."  
  
Yasha growled under the table and Kagome kicked him lightly. He yelped, but nobody heard him. Hojo's hand tried to sneak it's way over to Kagome's. Yasha growled again and bit down on his leg, hard. Hojo screamed out in pain and fell backwards onto a waiter. Kagome gasped and looked over the table at him. He was covered head to toe with food. She giggled.  
  
"Are you okay Hojo?"  
  
Hojo nodded his head weakly. A waiter tapped Kagome on the shoulder.  
  
"Sorry miss, but no dogs are allowed in the building. Could you please remove him?"  
  
She nodded and grabbed Yasha by the collar. Having gotten his revenge on Hojo, he happily left the building with Kagome. Once outside, Kagome took the scroll off his forehead and decided to talk.  
  
"As happy as I am that you stopped this horrible date, don't do it again. I don't want to be held responsible for any injuries."  
  
He nodded happily then licked her hand.  
  
"Let's go home, boy. It's a new moon tonight and I don't want to get caught in the dark."  
  
He whimpered softly. He didn't like new moons for obvious reasons. Yasha had no idea how his current predicament would affect his usual transformation to human. They left Hojo at the restraunt and walked home together. They reached the shrine and went inside.  
  
"Hello Kagome dear. How was your date with Hojo."  
  
"It was interesting."  
  
She looked down at Yasha and smiled softly.  
  
"I'm tired, so I'll go up to bed early tonight, okay mama?"  
  
"Good night dear."  
  
Kagome trudged upstairs with Yasha. She collapsed on her bed and fell asleep instantly. Yasha looked out her bedroom window at the darkening sky. He whimpered and began to glow. He felt himself changing shape, but to what he did not know. He nudged Kagome's hand. She woke up and looked at him. Her eyes went wide. (O.O)  
  
"Dear kami-sama, what happened?"  
  
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Mwhahahahaha!!! I love to leave cliffhangers! That means you might come back to see what happens. The story gets interesting from here, so stay tuned! 


	5. Mystery of the New Moon

Paws of Thought  
  
A/N: I hadn't really thought about it before, but I left the whereabouts of tetsusaiga unknown. I will reveal where it has been hidden in this chapter. Sorry if this chapter is a bit weird..I have a huge supply of sugar..I currently bought a five-pound bag of gummy bears..so I am on a permanent sugar high for a while. So if this chappie sounds strange..that's why.  
  
I conveniently forgot a disclaimer in the last chapter..so.. Disclaimer: I'm broke, so I don't own him..so there..  
  
Recap of last chapter.. Kagome trudged upstairs with Yasha. She collapsed on her bed and fell asleep instantly. Yasha looked out her bedroom window at the darkening sky. He whimpered and began to glow. He felt himself changing shape, but to what he did not know. He nudged Kagome's hand. She woke up and looked at him. Her eyes went wide. (O.O)  
  
"Dear kami-sama, what happened?"  
  
°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸ °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸ °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸°º¤ø  
  
Chapter 5: Mystery of the New Moon  
  
"Is that really you? Inuyasha? What happened?"  
  
Kagome closed her eyes and shook her head side to side. -I must be dreaming. Yeah, that's it ..dreaming.- She looked over at Inuyasha again. She couldn't believe her eyes. Inuyasha was standing before her, but he was only a foot tall! He had turned into a chibi hanyou!  
  
The little hanyou sat down indian style with his hands crossed across his chest and a pout on his little face. ~I bet that damn bitch Vixen is laughing her ass off right about now..~  
  
Feudal Era   
  
Said demon was rolling around on the ground laughing to the point where she could hardly breathe.  
  
"Ha! That stupid ::hee hee:: idiotic ::wheeze:: dog demon ::ha:: is probably too stupid ::cough:: to realize that he is so small ::tee hee:: that he will probably be used as a chew toy for some pup! ::bwahahahah!!!::"  
  
She gloated and laughed about the success of her spell for a while. At least until she laughed herself into unconsciousness..  
  
Back to the "Future" (A/N: I don't own that show either.)  
  
-He looks so adorable right now .. Like a little kid.-  
  
"Kawaii .."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes went wide. Kagome scooped him up in her arms and glomped him. He squirmed in her grasp while blushing furiously.  
  
"Lemme go, wench!"  
  
She just hugged him tighter. ~What's with this family and hugging me to death? They all have a death grip. I gotta think of some way to get outta here..though I do like Kagome's hugs, and she does smell good up close like this..gah! Focus, Inu, FOCUS.~ The little gears in Inu's head started moving once again. The gears clicked..he had an idea.  
  
He tried asking once more.  
  
"Let me go, Kagome . . . please?"  
  
No response.  
  
~I'm going to regret this, aren't I?~ He hesitated before biting down on her arm.  
  
"OUCH! INUYASHA!!! Sit boy!"  
  
His tiny little body was flung down to the floor. There wasn't much distance to travel, so the impact didn't hurt as much as it usually did. Now that he was free of her grasp, but still pinned to the floor by the subduing spell, he decided to make conversation.  
  
"So, why did you go out with that Hojo boy?"  
  
"My friends forced me to have a date with him.."  
  
"I'm sure you enjoyed it, didn't you?"  
  
"Nah, Hojo's nice, but he's a complete idiot."  
  
Kagome seemed to be less angry, so he shakily stood up.  
  
"Are you okay, Inuyasha? I didn't think that sit was that bad."  
  
He gruffly responded. "I'm fine."  
  
Kagome still looked at him with a worried face. He didn't look too fine. Inuyasha looked very ruffled up and dazed.  
  
"So, what happened to you?"  
  
Inuyasha explained to Kagome all the events leading up to his transformation, from their fight on that morning, to where they are now. She gasped many times throughout the story.  
  
"How are we going to turn you back to normal?"  
  
Inuyasha looked downcast at the question. "I don't know..I really don't know."  
  
Kagome thought for a moment looking at him then came up with an idea. "If anybody knows how to turn you back, Kaede should."  
  
His tiny face pouted again. "Do we really have to depend on the old hag's help?"  
  
"Yes we do, she's the only person near enough that would probably know how to cure you. We can leave for the feudal era after some rest and lunch."  
  
He mumbled but agreed. Inuyasha walked over to the door and sat cross- legged against the wall like he usually sleeps when a tree isn't present. Kagome sat on the edge of her bed with her feet dangling off the side and watched as he drifted off to sleep. As soon as she was sure he was completely asleep, she carefully scooped him up in her arms and cuddled up with him on her bed (A/N: Soft, squishy huggable Yasha..).  
  
He squirmed ever so slightly in her grasp, but did not wake up. Kagome fell asleep with a soft smile on her lips.  
  
Ms. Higurashi, after hearing a commotion coming from Kagome's room, peeked into her daughter's room to check up on her. She smiled brightly when she saw the two cuddled up on the bed. She snuck away then came back a few minutes later with a camera. She took the picture then ran away before she was noticed.  
  
Kagome grunted in her sleep from the bright flash, but just turned over away from it, unfortunately pinning Inuyasha under her. He sleeps like a log when in a safe environment, so he didn't notice that he was being squished.  
  
Morning   
  
Inuyasha woke up to find the room very dark. He felt as if he'd been asleep for a long time, but couldn't quite figure out why it was so dark. He tried to get a feel of his surroundings, so he took a deep sniff. The immediate region around him smelled deeply of Kagome, so he finally realized that the girl had fallen asleep on top of him.  
  
A growl started deep in his throat. He tried to yell at her to get off him, but all that came out was a loud bark. He was momentarily confused, but then sadly acknowledge that he must have turned back into a dog again since it was morning.  
  
Kagome shifted slightly, waking up. She felt something fuzzy under her, and instantly hugged it. The object she was hugging wasn't too pleased, for she heard soft growling. She rolled over to finally give poor Inuyasha some much-needed air.  
  
"Good morning, Inuyasha. Sleep well?"  
  
He just grumbled in response.  
  
"Not a morning person I see. Come on, we have a big day ahead of us. Let's go have breakfast."  
  
She ushered him out of her room so she could properly dress for breakfast. She went downstairs to find Inuyasha already waiting for her at the table. He was, in fact, sitting in one of the chairs at the table.  
  
"Get down out of the chair! I know you're not really a dog, but you look like one and dogs can't eat at the table."  
  
Grandpa Higurashi chose that moment to walk into the kitchen. He had a weird expression on his face as he listened to Kagome talk to the dog.  
  
"I knew something wasn't right about that dog!"  
  
Inuyasha decided that he has grown tired of the old man. He got up on his hind legs and strutted around acting like a zombie, with his eyes rolled back, foam on his mouth, and his tongue lolling out of his mouth. The old man's eyes grew as big as dinner plates.  
  
"AAHHH!!!! NOW THE DOG IS POSSESSED!!!"  
  
He ran out of the room as fast as his old legs could carry him. Kagome shrugged her shoulders. -I guess he isn't hungry for breakfast . . .- Ms. Higurashi walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Why are you up so early today, dear? And why was Grandpa running out of here screaming like that?"  
  
Kagome tried to keep her face straight. "We are going back to feudal Japan today, mama. I have no idea why grandpa was so frantic to distance himself from Yasha, no idea at all . . ."  
  
"Oh well. I'll pack you some lunches to bring to your friends. Would you like some ramen to bring to your cute little dog-eared friend?"  
  
She blushed, "Sure mom."  
  
"It'll be ready in about ten minutes, go ahead and have some breakfast."  
  
"Arigatou, mama."  
  
She went back to Yasha and sat down to eat her breakfast. Yasha had been done eating for the past five minutes, so he just sat and watched her eat until she finished. His intent stare made Kagome feel a little nervous. To counter his staring, she stared right back. They held the little staring contest for about ten minutes until Buyo came in and sneezed, interrupting their concentration. She broke out into a fit of giggles and only stopped when Inuyasha barked, annoyed at the time that was being wasted. He couldn't wait to get turned back into his true form.  
  
Kagome could tell by the feel of his aura that he was beginning to feel saddened and inpatient. Her face got a serious look to it, and she stood up.  
  
"All right, I guess we can go now. Let's get ready and go pack while mama finishes making our lunches."  
  
He nodded and they both went upstairs to get prepared for their stay to the feudal era.  
  
Bout a half hour later   
  
"Thanks again for making up those lunches for us, mama."  
  
"You're quite welcome, Kagome."  
  
She gave her mom a hug then walked out the door with Inuyasha close on her heels. The duo reached the doors of the mini-shrine containing the mystical well. They looked at each other with determination and unspoken thoughts. She opened the door and they both jumped into the well together. She welcomed the familiar feeling of the transfer between times.  
  
She felt herself land softly on the bottom of the well. She smiled to herself and breathed in the fresh air of the feudal era. -We're here at last.- She watched as Inuyasha attempted to get out of the well. First, he tried to jump out. He wasn't as good of a jumper as he used to be, so his jump fell short of the rim of the well. He fell back to the bottom with a loud * thump *, then groaned and got up again. He's quite a determined dog, so he tried to climb out by grabbing hold of the nearby vines with his teeth. But, alas, his teeth were too sharp and he only succeeded in lessening the plant growth within the well.  
  
Kagome couldn't help herself as she began to laugh uncontrollably. Inuyasha gave her a death glare, and reduced her laughing to mere giggles. She decided to help the poor miserable dog. She scooped him up and placed him on her back like he had always done for her.  
  
"Goodness you're heavy, maybe you should lay off the ramen for a while."  
  
He whimpered and she assured him that she was only kidding. She climbed out of the well with the added difficulty of having a heavy dog on her back. Once she was out of the well, she dropped to the ground and took in a deep breath.  
  
"Wow, that was more work than usual."  
  
She shot up off of the ground and seemed to have ten times the energy that she had a moment ago.  
  
"Alright! Let's go!"  
  
Inuyasha looked at her retreating back with puzzlement riddling his face, but he followed her nonetheless. He moved cautiously and smelled the air trying to catch any scents that might be demonic. He didn't want to be attacked when he was in such vulnerable status. Unbeknownst to the traveling two, a pair of golden eyes watched them as they walked back to Kaede's village. The person behind the eyes was well aware that the dog would try to catch his scent, so he stayed downwind from his nose.  
  
They reached the hill overlooking the village. They ran the rest of the way to the village in their rush to find the cure. She inwardly hoped that Kaede was in her hut and not tending to others in other villages.  
  
Together, they burst into Kaede's hut. Kaede, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara all looked up as they burst in. They were all currently sitting around the fire talking. Shippo jumped up into Kagome's arms.  
  
"KAGOME!!!"  
  
She smiled at him, and he grinned back. He looked down questionably at the white dog that sat next to her. Sango looked at Kagome with a look in her eyes that only friends can share. Her face took on a serious look.  
  
"Kagome, I'm sorry to inform you, but Inuyasha has been missing for the last few weeks."  
  
"He's not missing, he's right here."  
  
She gestured towards the dog. They looked at the dog, then back at Kagome. Their friend must have lost it. That dog couldn't possibly be their silver- haired companion. They all looked sad to Kagome for some reason, and Miroku just shook his head side to side.  
  
"Hey! I'm not crazy! That's really Inuyasha!"  
  
She explained to the group the predicament that he was in. They just 'oh'ed as soon as she finished. Meanwhile, the owner of the golden eyes was outside the hut, listening to the group speak. Once he heard all that he wanted to hear, he made up his mind to interrupt the little meeting.  
  
Sesshomaru burst into the room with a crazy look in his eyes. He pointed at Inuyasha.  
  
"NOW WE CAN CALL *YOU * FLUFFY!! BWAHAHAHA!!"  
  
He got weird looks from everybody in the room. Except from Inuyasha. He just sat there and growled at him with a death look in his eyes. Sesshoumaru looked at him with his usual blank stare. Inuyasha got up and started to chase him. Sesshy's eyes went wide and he screamed like a little girl, and ran like all hell broke loose.  
  
"MAD DOG! MAD DOG! MAD DOG!"  
  
He chased him until he felt satisfied with his work, then came back with a smirk on his face.  
  
About a mile down the road, Sesshy came to a realization. He could turn into a dog too! (duh!) In his frustration, he conjured up his green whip thing and killed the nearest thing to him, which just so happened to be Jaken. (Yeah! Kill the annoying green toad!).  
  
°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸ °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸ °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸°º¤ø  
  
A/N: Bet you didn't see that one comin'. At least I didn't make him have a shrunken head or something like that . . .Tee Hee. I was tryin' not to accidently steal others' ideas, Gomen if I did! AHH!!!! Don't sue me!!! I can't finish the story if I don't have enough money for a computer! . . . Sorry again for not updating in such a long time. I now have all the time in the world to write. Yay! Sorry for leaving you all at a cliffy..maybe I should leave more..I tried to make this chapter longer to compensate for my lack of writing.. .hope it was enough for my hungry fans. ^.~ 


	6. Search for the Cure

Sorry it's been so long. I've been bogged down by work again and I've lost my floppy disk with my story on it. -.- I had to start over from scratch. I also forgot my password for a while. But now I'm back, with many ideas. I'm still accepting some from you guys though. I've also just realized that I never mentioned what happened to tetsusaiga, I'll be sure to mention that in this chapter or the next.  
  
Reminder: "."=quotes (.)=A/N ::.:: = Inuyasha's thoughts -.- = Kagome's thoughts . = other character's thoughts.  
  
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Chapter 6: Search for the Cure

Satisfied with his job well done, Inuyasha strolled back into the hut with a smug look on his face. ::My brother can be such a sissy some times.::

Kaede coughed to draw everyone's attention to her. "Now that the disturbing interruption is taken care of, we need to talk of a cure."

The group got settled around the fire so that they could all better hear what Kaede had to say. Inuyasha was being impatient, so he paced the small room instead. "I know not of this demon named Vixen, but me thinks that if you find the source, you'll find the cure. For now you should grow used to your new body in case a cure is not to be found." Inuyasha stopped pacing long enough to start growling. ::How the hell will that help?!?::

Kaede got an exasperated look on her face. "Don't growl at me hanyou, I can't know everything there is to be known." He just growled even louder and started to pace faster.

"That pacing is making me nervous, why don't you sit down?" Kagome said. As soon as she said sit, the demon turned dog was flung to the ground by the collar around his neck. Pinned to the ground and unable to hurt anyone, Kaede approached and inspected the collar. "Interesting, though the rosary has transformed, its power diminishes none at all."

Sango stood up and said, "Well, it seems inevitable that we have another journey ahead of us. We should leave tomorrow morning. You boys pack some supplies and we'll go freshen up, come on Kagome." Kagome nodded and said okay. "Kirara, you stay behind and guard the boys to make sure they aren't up to no good." Kirara purred and made a sound that was affirmative.

The girls walked off into the forest and Miroku tried to follow. Kirara growled and jumped into the way. Miroku stated with cool logic, "I wanted to make sure they didn't get lost!" Inuyasha rolled his eyes and dragged him back into the hut by the hem of his robes. Shippo was inside and shaking his head in disappointment. His face brightened up into a smile as he remembered that Inuyasha had not met his new friend.

"Hey Inuyasha! You have to meet my new friend!" Shippo said. ::Do I have a choice?:: He grabbed him by the collar and took him into the forest. He led him to a cave deep in the woods. There, Shippo called into the cave for his friend. A cat demon with bright orange hair stepped out. "This is my friend Kyoshi." (A/N: Kyoshi can mean quiet.) The small boy gave a polite smile and a little wave. "Hey Kyoshi, you wanna come with us on our journey." Said boy nodded his head.

Shippo smiled brightly and said, "Great, let's go back now before Miroku is murdered by Kagome and Sango." The two smiled and the three of them went back to the village.

The girls got back to the hut at the same time as the trio. Kagome, "Hey Shippo, who is this?" "Oh, you haven't met him yet, he's my new friend. His name is Kyoshi." "What a lovely name, will he be joining us on our journey? It might be a little too dangerous." "He can handle it, he's strong like me." "Okay Shippo-chan."

(Ђ-¬)/ The next morning (Ђ-¬)/

The group stood at the exit of the village looking back at Kaede. "Good bye, Kaede! We'll be back soon!" Kagome yelled back waving. They walked off together in the brisk morning light. I can only hope that fortune smiles upon them.(Kaede)

Inuyasha led the group by sniffing the ground trying to catch Vixen's scent. Kagome chatted with Sango and Sango watched Miroku warily in case he tried to do anything perverted. Shippo and Kyoshi were playing behind them and Kirara trailed behind in case of an ambush.

They traveled that way for a few days, but on their fifth day of travel, they were caught up in a serious storm. The sought refuge in a deep cave. Miroku gathered some material to burn while the rest of the group tried to dry off. The furry members shimmied furiously to get the water out of their fur and succeeded in dousing the others. Kyoshi and Shippo whimpered. "I'm cold," they both said at the same time. "You can sleep by me to keep warm." Kagome volunteered.

Inuyasha glared at the two and growled lowly. ::Why do the little brats always get to snuggle with Kagome?:: "Inuyasha, don't growl, they're only children!" He whimpered slightly and grumbled as he curled up into a ball in the corner. After they got a fire started, they all settled in to sleep. Sango slept as far away from Miroku as she could.

The next morning, Sango woke up and turned over. Directly in front of her, she saw Miroku's peacefully sleeping face. She blushed and screamed loudly, waking everyone else up with a start.

"What, no morning kiss?" Miroku said. That earned him an extremely painful slap and a toss into the nearest puddle. After they all had something to eat for breakfast, they set off on their way again. They came upon a fork in the road. "Okay, which way do we go Inuyasha?" Miroku asked. He stuck his nose to the ground and sniffed each path. He didn't catch any scent, so he shrugged his shoulders the best he could and sat down in the middle. Miroku tried that staff trick (like he did the first episode the gang met him), but it just landed in the middle also. Shippo piped up, "I know! Let Kyoshi try!" "What can Kyoshi do?" "He can find stuff." "Vague, but I hope it works."

Kyoshi stepped up to the path and mentally asked himself where the demon Vixen was. He felt a mental tug towards the left path, so that was where he pointed his small, clawed finger. "Okay, then that is where we'll go!" Kagome piped up. Inuyasha just rolled his eyes. ::This kid is going to get us lost.::

They walked down the path, which led into a forest. The trees broke out and made way for an enormous field with a large house in the middle. They stepped into the clearing and Kyoshi and Shippo dropped to their knees. "What's wrong, Shippo? Kyoshi?" With a large poof of smoke they were turned into a small fox cub and a small orange cat. The group instantly went on the alert and Inuyasha sniffed around. ::Strange. I couldn't smell Vixen's scent until we went into the field..there must be a barrier.:: The rest of the group that was still human grabbed their weapons and prepared for battle.

Inuyasha let out an angry howl that basically said "Vixen! Get your ass out here, you bastard!" Hearing the howl, Vixen stepped out of her house smirking and twirling the tetsusaiga in her hand. Looks like my playmate has come back for more. ::My tetsusaiga! How can she wield it?:: Kagome asked the question that Inuyasha couldn't. "How can you wield the tetsusaiga? Only a demon with human blood can do that."

Vixen got a serious look on her face. "Naughty, naughty. You shouldn't ask such a personal question to someone you just met."

Miroku was the first to attack by attempting to subdue her with some spell scrolls. Vixen's magic was too strong, though, and the scrolls were harmlessly burned before they could take effect. He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I'm not going to be much of use in this battle." He sat down on a rock with his hand on the prayer beads in case the battle took a turn for the worse.

It was Sango's turn next. She threw Hiraikotsu and rode Kirara up close and tried to knock her out with some paralyzing powder. Vixen had vast knowledge of powders and dodged both assaults. She conjured up a wind and sent the powder back at the cat and the demon exterminator. Sango was okay because of her mask, but Kirara was put out of commission. "Kirara! Oh, no!" She scooped up Kirara in her arms and brought her (him?) over to Miroku's rock and set her (him?) down there.

Kagome cocked her arrow to her bow and prepared to fire. Vixen was growing bored of their feeble attempts. She yawned and said, "Why bother? You guys are way too weak to defeat me. And besides, you wouldn't want to kill me until you find out how to cure your arrogant bastard friend." Inuyasha growled louder and ran forward and bit down hard on her leg. "You call that a bite, mutt?" She swung the tetsusaiga around and hit him in the head with the flat of the blade. He yelped then hit the ground unconscious in the middle of the field. "Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, throwing down her bow and arrow.

Kyoshi sat on the side of the field watching the scene unfold. He evaluated the situation and figured that they would need assistance in defeating their foe. He wanted his newfound friends to be proud of how strong he was. Even though he was currently a cat, his powers still worked. He gathered up his energy and sent a powerful mental blast towards Vixen. She wasn't expecting a mental attack, so it hit her full on and she was knocked unconscious.

(§-§) After Vixen wakes up (§-§)

Vixen woke up and found herself bound to a tree. The group had recovered from their injuries, and surrounded the tree waiting for her to become conscious. Kagome stood in the middle with her arrow cocked and Inuyasha sat to her left growling softly. They had stolen the tetsusaiga back and put it with their stuff for when Inuyasha was turned back to normal. "How do we change him back?" Kagome said with venom in her voice. "Keh! Like I'll ever tell you! You'd have to kill me to find out! Ooops.." Heh, like they're dumb enough to fall for that one.. "Fair enough." Kagome let the arrow go and it embedded itself into her chest and pinned her to the tree. Vixen muttered an incantation under her breath before she was put into eternal sleep by Kagome's arrow.

She completed her spell then her eyes drooped closed and her heart slowed to a stop. As she 'died', a light blue mist rose from her and entered Kagome's body. Kagome blacked out and the group cried out her name.

Kagome came to a couple hours later to find a pair of golden eyes watching her. "Inuyasha?" He whimpered slightly to let her know that he still hadn't changed back. "It didn't work? Oh no! I'm so sorry Inuyasha! Now we have nobody to ask about for a cure.." ::It's alright as long as you're okay..:: He nuzzled her side and whimpered. "I'm fine, but you're stuck like a dog."

Hearing Kagome's voice, Shippo and Kyoshi rushed to Kagome's side and gave her a big hug. "Kagome! You're alright!" "I see you've changed back, that's great!" Inuyasha gave the young ones a sour look and left to fetch the rest of the group.

They all gathered and Kagome exchanged a solemn look with Inuyasha. "I guess if Inuyasha hasn't turned back now, he won't turn back anytime soon." Miroku stated. ::Thanks for pointing out the obvious, bozo.:: Inuyasha thought as he bit down on Miroku's leg. "I guess he could protect the village from now on." Sango suggested. She mentally pictured him carting around wheelbarrows full of supplies and barking at crows to keep them out of the fields. She chuckled at her thoughts and received a dirty look from said dog. "Sorry, I can't help myself."

"Well, there's nothing else we can do here, so let's just head back to the village." Miroku pointed out. They all nodded so they cleaned up their camp, repacked their supplies, and set off down the trail again. Kagome led the way this time and the rest followed behind. The wind shifted direction and Inuyasha got a good whiff of her scent. ::That's strange, her scent smells different somehow..::

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A/N: Nya Nya, more later. It's late and I have a date with my bed. I have a long summer ahead of me, so I'll try to finish my story before I go on vacation. Thank you for waiting patiently this long time. I hope it's well worth it. My next chapter will be posted very soon, so look out for it! Thanks again, embersinge.


	7. Dog eat Dog World

I cannot apologize enough for the long wait I made my readers endure. **Bows deeply**.

"."=Quotes (.)=A/N ::.:: = Inuyasha's thoughts -.- = Kagome's thoughts . = other character's thoughts.

Previously:

Kagome led the way this time and the rest followed behind. The wind shifted direction and Inuyasha got a good whiff of her scent. :: That's strange, her scent smells different somehow..::

'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.

Chapter 7: Dog eat Dog World

"Sesshoumaru-sama, where are we going? Where's Jaken-sama?" came Rin's ever curious voice. Sesshoumaru was annoyed with her incessant questioning, but her childlike ways were enough to keep him from slaughtering her.

"Jaken will not be coming back. He was slaughtered by a powerful demon." Sesshoumaru stated blankly. "Oh well, he was ugly and mean. He was fun to play with though.." Rin said thoughtfully.

The two traveled through the forest with Rin humming and skipping along in the background. The wind shifted direction and Sesshy caught the scent of his annoying baby brother. "Rin, go play with Ah-Un. I have some unfinished business to attend to." (A/N: I don't know if that's how you spell the name..it's that two-headed dragon that Sesshy somehow got in that one episode that Rin uses to ride everywhere.) "Okay Sesshoumaru-sama."

She skipped off with the dragon and he darted off through the trees in the direction of his brother's scent. His anger spiked as he remembered how he had been humiliated by the hanyou that had been turned into a dog. He stopped running before the trees broke into the path and listened as Inuyasha's group drew closer. He heard a loud slap that echoed throughout the valley as a result of the perverted monk's stroking of the demon slayer's bottom.

He decided that now was as good a time as any to confront the group so he stepped out from the cover of the trees. "We meet again, mutt."

C= C= (;'-')/ Run away!!!! C= C= (;'-')/

Kagome cringed as she heard how loud the smack had been and sighed mentally. –When will he ever learn?- She turned around abruptly when she heard Inuyasha growling. "What's wrong, Inuyasha?" She gasped when she saw Sesshoumaru standing in the middle of the path.

"We meet again, mutt."

The group instantly stopped their quarreling to face their opponent. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the white dog and said coldly, "You only surprised me last time, this time, you will pay." Inuyasha only scoffed at the remark. Sesshy sneered. "Lowly half-breeds like you are undeserving of a life such as yours, you should be happy that I am about to end it for you."

Sesshoumaru's body twisted as he made his transformation to his enormous dog demon form. Shippo and Kyoshi cowered behind Kagome because they have never seen such a big demon before.

Inuyasha, being the bigheaded idiot that he is, stepped forward to fight his brother. He was obviously at a serious disadvantage because of the mere size of his brother in this form. It was like a Chihuahua trying to fight a Mastiff (not that they've ever heard of those types of dogs). "Inuyasha! Don't fight! You don't stand a chance in your present state!" Kagome pleaded with him, "How do you expect to defeat him?"

::I don't know Kagome..I'll think of something eventually.:: Since he couldn't say anything to Kagome, he instead looked back at her and gave her a dopey dog-grin. It was a look that said, "I'll be fine, don't worry."

He turned to face his brother fully and got into a fighting stance. They growled ominously at each other before Inuyasha rushed in for the attack. Sesshoumaru headed him off quickly by lunging forward and trying to hook his teeth around Inuyasha's body. He normally would have sideswiped him with a paw, but he only has three legs and didn't want to give him an advantage when he rose up on two legs to strike. Inuyasha dodged his teeth and countered by jumping on top of his head with a stick in his jaws and stabbing it in his eye.

Sesshy writhed about and tossed his head until he managed to throw Inuyasha off. He landed on all fours and contemplated his next attack while Sesshy was recovering from the pain. While the pain in his eye distracted him, Inuyasha snuck around to Sesshoumaru's back and started biting the back of his leg to try and sever the tendon to prevent him from walking. Feeling the new twinge of pain, he turned around knocked Inuyasha away and he landed painfully on the ground.

My new friend needs help. Kyoshi thought. As Inuyasha got up on shaky legs, Kyoshi contacted him telekinetically to give him warning of what his plan was. With new strength, Inuyasha grabbing the stick he used to poke Sesshoumaru's eye with and charged forward towards him once again. Sesshy was getting ready to counter again, but Kyoshi tripped him using his mind power and he fell to the ground. Now down at Inuyasha's level, his chest was exposed and vulnerable. He surged forward and stabbed the stick into his chest and barely missed hitting Sesshoumaru's heart (You guys would kill me if I killed Sesshoumaru!).

He lay there bleeding profusely and panting from the effort of not falling unconscious from the loss of blood. He growled feebly to try and regain some respect to the power he holds. It didn't work and he had to leave before he was finished off for good.

"You haven't won yet, Inuyasha, I WILL be back, and I WILL win next time." Sesshoumaru said venomously. He turned into a ball of light and was whisked away into the deep forest. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. ::He says that every time too..::

Sango stepped forward. "If we want to get back to the village by the end of the week, we need to leave immediately." "Okay, anything for you, pumpkin. ." smiled Miroku. This earned him another slap.

As they were walking, Kagome looked down at Inuyasha with a worried expression. "Are you sure you're okay?" He nodded, but he still had a limp in his walk. "I would still be more comfortable if you rested for a while." He sighed in reluctance but allowed her to call Kirara over and hoist him up to ride on the demon cat's back. They traveled that way for a few days until a peculiar scent reached Inuyasha's nose. ::Oh great, now what?:: He thought as he rolled his eyes.

At the exact moment he thought this, a small tornado rushed toward the group. From the tornado, Kouga leaped out and stopped in front of Kagome. He grabbed her hands in his and gave them a kiss. "Your scent smells sweeter than ever! I shall take you now as my wife and that InuKoro can't do anything about it! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! OUCH!" He cried out in pain as a strong set of jaws latched onto his tail.

He turned around and glared at the person offending his poor tail. What he saw was a big fluffy white dog. "Where did you get this mutt, Kagome?" "Erm..we found him. .;" "Wait just one minute! I know that disgusting scent anywhere. How did you manage to get turned into a dog, eh InuKoro?"

He growled and spat out some curses in dog tongue. "Still sharp-tongued despite your predicament, tsk tsk tsk. That foul mouth of yours is bound to get you killed one day. Now shove off because Kagome is **MY** woman!" ::Not in your wildest dreams, bastard!::

Kouga childishly stuck his tongue out at the dog and picked Kagome up bridal style. "See ya dog boy!" He yelled just before he whisked off with Kagome in his arms. ::NO! Not again! Kagome!!:: He howled as he attempted to chase after the quickly disappearing tornado in the distance.

The young members of the group just cried out their sorrow because their motherly figure had just been kidnapped. Sango and Miroku put on their game faces. "Don't worry, Inuyasha, we'll get her back."

(-.-#) To Kagome's Location (-.-#)

Kagome was uselessly pounding her fists on Kouga's back. "Let me go! I have to change Inuyasha back!" "Ha! Like I'll let you do that! He looks better this way."

They reached his cave by the waterfall and were greeted by the rest of the pack. "Kagome-oneesan came back!" Kouga made her lay down on the same bed of straw from the last kidnapping and left to find a peace offering for his new wife. While Kouga was gone, the wolves each in turn stepped up to Kagome and tried to offer her presents or food. She was humbled by their kindness, but still wanted to be back with the group.

Kouga returned a while later with a very rare and very beautiful flower. "The beauty of this flower cannot compete with your own beauty, but I felt that you would like it nonetheless." Kagome blushed a deep crimson and meekly accepted his gift. He smirked knowing that he had won her over and bade her good night.

Kagome tried to sleep but felt strangely unsettled. The light of the full moon outside the cave kept her awake. She finally nodded off but was rudely awakened at midnight by a searing pain coursing through her body. She began to glow a light blue color and could feel her body changing shape..

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Hope this chapter was okay, more to come!

Next Chapter: Changes 


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